activate

B2 Topic:Cause, Change & Process

US /ˈæktɪˌveɪt/ See IPA manual

verb Freq #7402

Meanings

1

verb
To make a device, system, or alarm start working.

The pranksters activated the fire alarm just before the exam began.
2

verb
To make something active or cause it to start having an effect.

The government introduced tax cuts to activate the slowing economy.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to make a device, system,... triggerset off

2 verb · to make something active or... stimulate

More actuate enable spur start

Opposites

deactivateinactivate

Word family

Forms activatedactivatesactivating

Derived forms activableactivatableactivateractivatoractivatoryalloactivatedautoactivatebioactivatebioactivatingcoactivatecoactivateddiactivated

Related forms activation

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti Proto-Italic *agō Latin agō Proto-Indo-European *-wósder. Latin -īvus ▲ Ancient Greek ἐνεργητῐκός (energētĭkós)sl. Latin āctīvusbor. Old French actifbor. Middle English actyf English active Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātuslbor. English -ate English activate From active + -ate.

Topics

Cause, Change & Process

# activate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** ˈæktɪˌveɪt
**Frequency rank:** 7402

## Meanings
1. To make a device, system, or alarm start working.
2. To make something active or cause it to start having an effect.

## Examples
- The pranksters activated the fire alarm just before the exam began.
- The government introduced tax cuts to activate the slowing economy.

## Synonyms
- actuate
- enable
- spur
- start
- stimulate
- trigger

## Antonyms
- deactivate
- inactivate

## Derived Forms
- activable
- activatable
- activater
- activator
- activatory
- alloactivated
- autoactivate
- bioactivate
- bioactivating
- coactivate
- coactivated
- diactivated

## Related Forms
- activation

## Roots and Affixes
- Affix: -ate - to make

## Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti Proto-Italic *agō Latin agō Proto-Indo-European *-wósder. Latin -īvus ▲ Ancient Greek ἐνεργητῐκός (energētĭkós)sl. Latin āctīvusbor. Old French actifbor. Middle English actyf English active Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātuslbor. English -ate English activate From active + -ate.

## AI Etymology
Activate is from active + -ate. The historical chain records Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ-, Proto-Indo-European *-eti, Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti, Proto-Italic *agō, Latin agō, Proto-Indo-European *-wós, Latin -īvus, Ancient Greek ἐνεργητῐκός (energētĭkós)sl., Latin āctīvus, Old, French actif, Middle, English actyf, English active, Proto-Indo-European *-h₂, and Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern verbal form is built from the named base and affix. Current senses include to make a device, system, or alarm start working and to make something active or cause it to start having an effect. The wider family includes derived forms such as activable, activatable, activater, activator, and activatory and related words such as activation.

## Topics
- Cause, Change & Process

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activate

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